The United States is fortunate to enjoy an enduring partnership with the people of Afghanistan. Even as U.S. troops depart, the United States is stepping up its political, economic, and diplomatic engagement with Afghanistan, strengthening our relationship for years to come.
We are delighted to share U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent announcement of more than $266 million in new humanitarian assistance from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), bringing total U.S. humanitarian aid for Afghanistan to nearly $3.9 billion since 2002.
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul remains a stalwart friend to the government and people of Afghanistan, and will build upon two decades of assistance in many fields, including humanitarian relief as well as a variety of cooperative projects in infrastructure, gender, education, agriculture, health, security, democracy, counter-narcotics, and anticorruption.
The humanitarian aid contributions of the United States and our international partners seek to address the needs of an estimated 18 million Afghans who are suffering due to poverty, hunger, COVID-19, and displacement. This new funding for the people of Afghanistan will provide lifesaving protection, shelter, livelihoods opportunities, essential health care, emergency food aid, water, sanitation, and hygiene services and respond to the needs generated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
We provide extensive needs-based humanitarian assistance to Afghan refugees, displaced people, and other vulnerable communities and are urging Afghanistan’s neighbors and the international community to do the same. We call on neighboring countries to keep their borders open to those seeking international protection. Our goal is a safe and stable country that the people of Afghanistan deserve.
